Todd Porter: Savage tries to explain Browns

Tuesday

Sep 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMSep 30, 2008 at 3:07 PM

The steady face, the boyish looks and the even temperament make Phil Savage the perfect general manager for a football team that is 1-3 a quarter of the way through the season. Savage made the Browns’ one win in four games during a year when much more was expected almost palatable.

Todd Porter

The steady face, the boyish looks and the even temperament make Phil Savage the perfect general manager for a football team that is 1-3 a quarter of the way through the season.

Savage made the Browns’ one win in four games during a year when much more was expected almost palatable.

The Browns, frankly, don’t belong on the same field with the Cowboys. Dallas is a Super Bowl contender. Cleveland is hoping to win one more game than the last team that doesn’t make the playoffs.

Savage is correct that the offense has been handicapped with quarterback Derek Anderson, wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back Jamal Lewis all missing significant playing time in the preseason. Donté Stallworth’s quadricep pull is hurting the team as much as the training camp time missed by the other three combined.

Would some of us have yanked Crennel and Anderson by now?

Probably, but those are the same people who’d change quarterbacks and a head coach sooner than they’d change underwear.

“There has not been any thought of really changing quarterbacks, changing the coach or anything like because that is not the thing to do at this juncture in the season,” Savage said.

A move at either position is akin to pushing the button on the season and blowing it up.

Have the Browns underachieved? Yes. Is it Crennel’s fault? Anderson’s? Not part and parcel. Judge them after the bye week when Stallworth is back, the trio of Anderson, Edwards, Lewis and Kellen Winslow Jr. have their timing down.

Comparing scores from one week to another isn’t a great matrix to work, but it’s the only one we have until the game is played. The Giants needed overtime at home to beat the Bengals with Carson Palmer. Did anyone think Ryan Fitzpatrick was going to beat the Browns at home Sunday?

Unlike Savage, who said he wasn’t going to grade player and coaches a quarter of the way through the year, that’s what football is. The game is broken up by quarters. So is the season.

After the first quarter of the season, what grade would you give the Browns. A stickler at the head of the class might give the team a D-minus, and hope to minus D.A. in a week.

That’s not going to happen.

Savage and Crennel have too much invested in this season. A quarterback switch isn’t going to be a magic wand. Brady Quinn isn’t going to give the world champions a licking on “Monday Night Football.” There are going to be growing pains with a first-year starter at the most important position.

But all the Browns are doing with Anderson is delaying the inevitable. They didn’t draft Quinn to trade him, but Savage agrees that Anderson has a contract that is conducive to a trade.

As for Crennel ... there have been times over the last 20 games when his stately coaching style has worked. There have been times when you just want to see him ring someone’s neck on the sideline.

“Romeo is going to be the same yesterday, today and tomorrow whether we are 0-3 or 10-3. It doesn’t matter,” Savage said.

Savage can’t be satisfied with Crennel. He alluded to some things during a news conference Monday. He admitted that Crennel has brought some of the criticism on himself, which is a nice way of saying, “I was scratching my head, too.”

But Crennel’s job is much the same as Anderson. Change either one, and you’re pulling the plug on the season.

Savage is taking a diplomatic approach to this season. He’s isn’t Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with control to the secret suitcase. After four games, fans and media are the ones ready to throw the high profile people off the mountain.

Savage can’t manage a team on emotion alone.

While Savage won’t judge anyone on a quarter of the season, he’ll have to after half the season is played. The Browns can turn things around in the next four weeks. They’ll have a full deck of cards.

“We’ve gotten off to a tough start,” Savage said. “We’ve only played a quarter of the year, but I’m anxious to see what we’re going to do the last three quarters of the year.”

Careers will be made or snapped in half during that time. Crennel’s, Anderson’s, and yes, even the even-tempered Savage. Give Savage this much, great leaders are the ones who can see clearly when the foundation seems to be cracking beneath them.